If You Could Go Back In Time ...

by Big Tex 19 Replies latest jw friends

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  Big Tex

  Assuming you could go back in time, and knowing what you know now, is there anything the 2009 You could say to that person you were while you were one of Jehovah's Witnesses, that would have gotten you out earlier, or easier?

  In other words, have you learned anything now, or while you were exiting, that would have made a difference to you while you were a Witness? If you could say anything to your old self, what would it be? And would it make any difference? Is there anything the present You could say or show the JW You that would help that old person leave Jehovah's Witnesses?
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  White Dove

  That's a really good question. I'm not sure if anything would have worked back then. I had to experience their Pharisaical actions for myself, personally, before anything anyone said would have made any difference. There is not much that you can say to thwart the efforts of one that is hell bent on doing the "right thing."
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  villabolo

  I would take all their old literature, especially The Finished Mystery, with me through the time machine and present it to the younger me. I always wanted their old literature in order to see how the "light got brighter and brighter". Of course, once I had read The Finished Mystery with its psychotic and blasphemous worship of Charles Russell I would have been out.

  villabolo
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  OUTLAW

  I doubt I could have got out much earlier..

  What would I say?

  "Move very far away from your JW Family..They are going to F*ck with your life ,for decades to come"..

  ..........................OUTLAW
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  Big Tex

  I'm not sure if anything would have worked back then. I had to experience their Pharisaical actions for myself, personally, before anything anyone said would have made any difference. There is not much that you can say to thwart the efforts of one that is hell bent on doing the "right thing."

  This is me as well. I was absolutely convinced that was The Truth, I really don't think anything would have changed my mind other than actually experiencing all their mistreatment.
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  AllTimeJeff

  Ironically for me, if I didn't go through the sequence of events I did from 2005 on, I can see a scenario where I would have stuck around 'till right now.

  I loved my old congregation, all my friends, and as I was LUI (Living Under the Influence), I no doubt would have silently continued to doubt.

  Frankly, what I needed to be told was "Your goals and ambition are being spent by a controlling cult that ruins tens of thousands of lives a year. Get over yourself, and be honest with yourself."

  I ask myself this all the time, what would it have taken to get me to be honest with myself, and to admit to my conscious self what I saw and knew was happening. I don't know what I could have said at the time, I had the blinders on pretty tight.
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  XJW4EVR

  I would tell my younger self to not be afraid of being alone. That there is a world full of people that will love you for who you are, not for the religion you belong to.
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  Mr. Majestic

  The information that took me out of the organisation was the information that would have taken me out back when I was a JW. Foolishly I put so many of my questions I had back then on the ‘back burner’, as was recommended by my study conductor, she saying that the answers to my questions would be answered in time by Jehovah. But the questions I had when I started my road back to the organisation were the very same ones I reopened when I could see the problems in the organisation. When I looked there were too many questions simmering away on the ‘back burner’ and it was time to not wait anymore on Jehovah, but to take the initiative myself and see if I could find the truth behind everything.

  I was as ready to see it back then as I was when I did finally look into things. I just wished that I would have known someone who could answer the difficult questions for me as I know the answers now…
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  Narkissos

  I'm quite fond of this fantasy of dialogue between my successive "selves" (I must have mentioned it before), but I don't think it would change anything. My young JW character would be doing most of the talking anyway, preaching and arguing, while the older one would nod, smile, question once in a while, and sound way too inconsistent to this young fellow. The former I might keep some ideas from the latter one in the back of his mind, but they would take time to grow -- exactly the time for the former to become the latter. Who knows if this hasn't happened? (Reminds me of a short novel by Borges, El otro, The Other: http://es.geocities.com/paginatransversal/borges/).
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  Lady Lee

  I would say:

  Look Honey. You don't have to commit adultery to be rid of this abuser. Yiu can just walk out. If he commits adultery because you aren't giving out the "marital due" that is his problem. You bear no guilt for his sin.

  You are worth more than this. You are worth taking your kids and raising them away from the WTS - which is just a big lie anyways so you don't have to worry about Armageddon.

  And if you mother stops talking to you. . . well to be honest that's no big loss. She's never been there for you anyways.

  Time to pick yourself up get some therapy and get a life. You deserve it.